This Christmas quiz, which you can print off below, only has an initial flurry of questions with a Christmas theme and there are picture clues for those whose festive brains are a little addled. It’s not about events of the past year, which I find rather dull. It’s more of a pub-type quiz to have a go at over the holiday with hopefully interesting questions, though on reflection there should have been some geography, history, science, or even maths questions. Next year perhaps.

It is not therefore the sort of impossible-to-answer general knowledge quiz like that set by King William’s College on the Isle of Man that is featured each year in the The Guardian. Since 1905, pupils at the college have been required to take this test, and until 1999 it was compulsory. That said, the average score of the 300 pupils aged between 11 and 18 that take the test each year is just two, out of 180 questions!

This is the cover of the Radio Times Christmas Number published on 22 December 1956 priced 3d (about 1 and a half pence). There were only two TV channels then, BBC and ITA. The BBC’s programmes on Christmas Day started at 11am with a ‘Family Service’ from a church in Coventry, followed at 3pm with the Queen’s Christmas message, live but sound only. This was preceded by a three-minute message from the Duke of Edinburgh who was on the Royal Yacht somewhere in the Pacific, but who could only be heard ‘imperfectly’.

This is not surprising as who knows ‘during 1915, what yarn revealed the murderous activities of the Black Stone?’ (question 1.8 in the 2015 quiz, the 111th issue). Nor ‘where does a 20 second cycle operate from an octagonal tower? (question 4.7). One wonders what is the point of it? It certainly provides some kudos for the college and it exemplifies perhaps the thirst for knowledge for its own sake. There’s a term for this: autotelic. I did like however Q16.5. ‘What was Tom’s intended fate prior to his rescue from beneath the attic?’. Answer: Roly-poly Pudding (Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Samuel Whiskers). For those who know Miss Potter’s books well, that’s not me, there is a give away in that this book has the alternative title of ….. The Roly Poly Pudding.

The answers to the two questions above are The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan, and North Foreland Lighthouse near Broadstairs in Kent. I’m surprised that the average score is as high as two.

As the King William’s College quiz is only published in the The Guardian on Christmas Eve you will have to wait until then. This year’s answers will be published in The Guardian in the New Year towards the end of January.

This Christmas quiz, which you can print off below, only has a sprinkling of questions with a Christmas theme. It’s not about events of the past year, which I find rather dull. It’s more like an ordinary pub-type quiz to have a go at over the festive season with hopefully interesting questions. Most people will be able to answer a fair number of the questions, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it together.

It is not therefore the sort of impossible-to-answer general knowledge quiz like that set by King William’s College on the Isle of Man that is featured each year in the The Guardian. Since 1905, pupils at the college have been required to take this test, and until 1999 it was compulsory. That said, the average score of the 300 pupils aged between 11 and 18 that take the test each year is just two, out of 180 questions!

This is the cover of the first Radio Times Christmas Number published on 23 December 1923 priced 6d ( a bit less than 3p). The complete issue can be downloaded here. There’s no quiz but lots of ads for ‘wireless’ and ‘radio receivers’.

This is not surprising as who knows ‘following the escape of the lugger from the Hole, who expressed gladness at having trodden on which blind man’s corns?’ (question 5.6 in the 2014 quiz). Nor ‘which administrator was fatally speared during his riverside ablutions?’ (question 8 .8). One wonders what is the point of it? It certainly provides some kudos for the college and it exemplifies perhaps the thirst for knowledge for its own sake. There’s a term for this: autotelic. I did like however Q6.6: what dual enterprise began when two pharmacists were inspired by a gourmet’s Bengali experience? Answer: Lea and Perrins (Worcestershire Sauce)!

The current compiler of the quiz Dr Pat Cullen has produced a compendium of past papers entitled The World’s Most Difficult Quiz which is available from the School Shop. On a picky note, on the school website, ‘papers’ above is stated as ‘paper’, and ‘available’ is spelt ‘avialable’. Oh dear.

By the way, the answers to the two questions above are ‘Mr Dance, Pew’s (R L Stevenson – Treasure Island)’ (Q5.6) and ‘J W W Birch (Resident of Perak, 1875)’ (Q8.8). I’m surprised that the average score is as high as two.

As the King William’s College quiz is only published in the The Guardian on Christmas Eve you will have to wait until then. This year’s answers will be published in The Guardian in the New Year towards the end of January.

So, for a more relaxing and less challenging quiz try my one: Christmas Quiz 2015 Questions. The full quiz is quite long with 40 questions scoring a maximum of 84 points, so alternatively you could try the first 30 questions which score 63 points.

This Christmas quiz, which you can print off below, is not a quiz about Christmas. It doesn’t have a Christmassy theme, and it’s not about events of the past year, which I find rather boring. It’s just an ordinary pub-type quiz to have a go at over the festive season with hopefully interesting questions. Most people will be able to answer a fair number of the questions, and it should be more fun if two of you do it together.

It is not therefore the sort of impossible-to-answer general knowledge quiz like that set by the King William’s College on the Isle of Man that is featured each year in the The Guardian. Since 1905, pupils at the college have been required to take this test, and until 1999 it was compulsory. That said, the average score of the 300 pupils aged between 11 and 18 that take the test each year is, out of 180 questions, just two!

This is not surprising as who knows ‘where Blanche save the doomed Neville by clinging to the clapper of the curfew bell?’ (question 4.3). Nor ‘which royal infant was born prematurely at the Fürstenhof due to her mother’s pleurisy, and died the same day?’ (question 11.5). One wonders what is the point of it, other than providing some strange sort of kudos for the college. You can have a go at the King William’s College quiz here. The answers will be published in The Guardian in the New Year.